A cause for worry is missing intellectual tools
Wednesday, 23 February 2011
Gopal Sengupta
There is a growing expectation that Bangladesh will play a proactive role in the emerging world order as a key player in rising Asia. Does Bangladesh have the intellectual tools to meet these challenges? The answer is an emphatic, 'No'. This should be a cause for worry to our policy establishment and concerned citizens.
Universities focus on teaching and basic research. It is the think-tanks that help bridge the gap between the world of ideas and action. They are better equipped to generate policy-oriented research and to inform policy decisions.
It is difficult to claim that think-tanks change policy, as political leaders receive inputs from many sources. But good policy research offers independent analyses, critical assessments, alternative perspectives, new insights and sometimes innovative ideas. Effective think-tanks can help in more informed decision-making, agenda-setting, sensitising the public, briefing lawmakers and testing new ideas. They can interpret issues, events and policies for the media and thus improve public understanding of foreign and security policy issues.
They serve as a constructive forum for the exchange of ideas. They can help develop "issues networks." They are a potential source of expert personnel for the government, the legislatures and the media. And they can challenge the conventional wisdom of the establishment.
Think-tanks exert greater influence in countries like Canada and the United States where key decision-makers move in and out of the government. There is a growing demand from foreign scholars, government delegations, parliamentarians, media personnel and businessmen for information on Indian perspectives on a range of issues. This is a natural consequence of India's growing international profile.
The state of international studies in Bangladeshi universities is dismal owing to the neglect of theory, research methodology and language skills; poor infrastructure; indifferent teaching, and absence of incentives for good performance. But Bangladesh's international affairs think-tanks are sandwiched between a university system in crisis and an indifferent policy establishment.
They suffer from both demand and supply constraints. There is hardly any demand for their output, either because it is not regarded as relevant or because key officials believe they already know what is there to know. On the other hand, think-tanks are handicapped by the lack of talented young researchers. In order to ensure results in the near-term, greater attention needs to be given to develop the existing government-sponsored think-tanks into world-class institutions. This will require strong government support for institution-building and reforms, capacity-building of researchers through language training, field trips and appropriate personnel policies.
Changes in governance structures will also be needed to ensure speedier decision-making. As a nation, we have risen only to the level of corporate servants of multi-national corporations. To emerge as a sustainable, original, intellectual and relevant power, we need to reorganise our learning system and recognise and encourage individual capabilities lying dormant in millions of Bangladeshis.
(The writer can be reached at e-mail: hwbcanada@yahoo.com)
There is a growing expectation that Bangladesh will play a proactive role in the emerging world order as a key player in rising Asia. Does Bangladesh have the intellectual tools to meet these challenges? The answer is an emphatic, 'No'. This should be a cause for worry to our policy establishment and concerned citizens.
Universities focus on teaching and basic research. It is the think-tanks that help bridge the gap between the world of ideas and action. They are better equipped to generate policy-oriented research and to inform policy decisions.
It is difficult to claim that think-tanks change policy, as political leaders receive inputs from many sources. But good policy research offers independent analyses, critical assessments, alternative perspectives, new insights and sometimes innovative ideas. Effective think-tanks can help in more informed decision-making, agenda-setting, sensitising the public, briefing lawmakers and testing new ideas. They can interpret issues, events and policies for the media and thus improve public understanding of foreign and security policy issues.
They serve as a constructive forum for the exchange of ideas. They can help develop "issues networks." They are a potential source of expert personnel for the government, the legislatures and the media. And they can challenge the conventional wisdom of the establishment.
Think-tanks exert greater influence in countries like Canada and the United States where key decision-makers move in and out of the government. There is a growing demand from foreign scholars, government delegations, parliamentarians, media personnel and businessmen for information on Indian perspectives on a range of issues. This is a natural consequence of India's growing international profile.
The state of international studies in Bangladeshi universities is dismal owing to the neglect of theory, research methodology and language skills; poor infrastructure; indifferent teaching, and absence of incentives for good performance. But Bangladesh's international affairs think-tanks are sandwiched between a university system in crisis and an indifferent policy establishment.
They suffer from both demand and supply constraints. There is hardly any demand for their output, either because it is not regarded as relevant or because key officials believe they already know what is there to know. On the other hand, think-tanks are handicapped by the lack of talented young researchers. In order to ensure results in the near-term, greater attention needs to be given to develop the existing government-sponsored think-tanks into world-class institutions. This will require strong government support for institution-building and reforms, capacity-building of researchers through language training, field trips and appropriate personnel policies.
Changes in governance structures will also be needed to ensure speedier decision-making. As a nation, we have risen only to the level of corporate servants of multi-national corporations. To emerge as a sustainable, original, intellectual and relevant power, we need to reorganise our learning system and recognise and encourage individual capabilities lying dormant in millions of Bangladeshis.
(The writer can be reached at e-mail: hwbcanada@yahoo.com)